


The Tinder Box

by nothercucumber



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Community: tobreakthespell, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-24
Updated: 2012-09-26
Packaged: 2017-11-15 02:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/522103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothercucumber/pseuds/nothercucumber
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin may be in love but Merlin has to flee before they can work out their feelings. Fortunately, Merlin comes into the possession of a tinder box with unsual properties. Based on the fairy tale The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, a huge thanks to my lovely beta Glam. This was written for the tobreakthespell challenge (2010). The story was initially based on [The Tinder Box by Hans C. Andersen](http://www.kellscraft.com/tinderbox.html). Read the original story if you want. I had to change lots of bits because it didn't make much sense. I used parts of the original dialogue and description in the fanfic so if bits sound more fairy tale-ish than the rest, it's probably because it's from the original. (NOT MINE!) Also, I'd like to apologise for Valiant's behaviour beforehand. He developed a life of his own and wouldn't leave me alone. I blame Will Mellor. I hope you enjoy this somewhat fluffy story!

Once upon a time there was a prince who was an arrogant prat. His father was the king of a big and mighty country. One day the king and his court arrived at a royal estate near the border where they would stay for a month or two. It so happened that it was also the first day of work for a new servant. While all the other servants were busy making sure King Uther was satisfied, the new boy was kept away from the king. That was standard procedure since Uther was a ruthless and picky man and incompetent servants had been executed before. Obviously, no one wanted to clean the mess after an execution so Merlin – that was the new boy's name – received the honourable task of attending to Prince Arthur. Although Arthur was just as picky as his father, at least he didn't have the power to behead anyone.  
  
Arthur was not quite prepared for what being served by Merlin had in store for him when the clumsy boy entered his room.  
  
“Ah, here you are. Why is everything in this room so dusty? And where is my food? Have you any idea how long I've been waiting already? And my armour needs polishing, and while you're at it, my sword - “  
  
Merlin had been staring at Arthur with disbelief for a while but he had had enough of the Prince's orders.  
  
“I am Merlin. Nice to meet you, too,” he said. His voice was dripping with sarcasm.  
  
“I don't care what your name is. You'd better start doing your chores.”  
  
“Alright, alright. It's not my fault the room is dusty, it's my first day here. And no need to be rude...”  
  
“You can't talk to me like that. Get to work or it's going to be your last day as well as your first.”  
  
Arthur sat down at the table and eyed his new servant expectantly. Merlin rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded very much like “prat”. Arthur chose to ignore it but decided to keep an eye on Merlin. Obviously he was going to mess up at some point and Arthur had the strange urge to be the one who would berate him.  
  
# # #  
  
Merlin had really needed the job. He was all alone and had no qualifications to speak of. Sure, he could have earned money with his magical talents, however using them was forbidden under penalty of death. He had spend quite some time convincing Gaius, the administrator of the estate, that he would be a good and grateful servant. Gaius had known his deceased mother and had probably only given him the job because of her. Merlin couldn't back out now. He had to serve Prince Arthur.

 

One thing was sure though; Merlin didn't like the prince and apparently the feeling was mutual. No, he was distinctly unsatisfied with the standard of education of princes these days. Certainly, they were trained to kill since birth and he bet Arthur would look annoyingly gorgeous, swinging a sword, all blond-haired and blue-eyed. Nobody having taught him any manners however, he would remain a giant arrogant prat and the rudest person Merlin had ever met. Instead of asking for something nicely, he'd shout orders at Merlin and then he'd stare at him. It was a strange sort of stare, similar to the way people looked at a three-legged dog – it wasn't a pleasant sight but they couldn't stop watching. Merlin did not feel flattered. He knew he wasn't the perfect servant but he wasn't as bad as Arthur made him out to be. After a while he realised that his master's criticism was not to be taken seriously. Firstly, because he still had his job. And secondly, because Arthur's complaints had started to sound ludicrous.  
  
“Merlin, you are completely useless,” Arthur announced matter-of-factly.  
  
“What's wrong now?” Merlin asked and added after an inappropriately long pause, “Sire.”  
  
“My... the... my sword is too shiny.”  
  
Merlin gawked. Of course it was shiny. He had even used magic to make it extra shiny. So much for trying his best.  
  
“Excuse me?” he spluttered. “You wanted me to polish it. What's your problem?”  
  
“Merlin, Merlin, Merlin. Don't you know anything? If my sword is too shiny it's going to...” Arthur was gesturing wildly, clearly looking for the right words. “It's going to blind my opponent,” he finished lamely.  
  
“Wouldn't that be an advantage for you?”  
  
“It would be hardly fair. You obviously don't know anything about the values of knights.”  
  
Merlin had the suspicion that Arthur invented the knights' values whenever they seemed to prove his point. His point was pretty much always the same: Merlin was incompetent.

 

Familiar with Arthur's moods, he decided to humour him.  
  
“Maybe you'd like me to polish your opponents' swords as well?” he asked, suppressing a grin.  
  
Arthur did not look amused by the suggestion.  
  
“Oh shut up, _Mer_ lin. Don't you dare polish anybody else's sword.”  
  
Merlin snickered. Arthur was definitely the jealous type.  
  
Ever since that conversation, he just laughed whenever Arthur started shouting at him. No matter how angry he made Arthur, Merlin always got away with it. Even when their banter turned into a pillow fight, Merlin knew that Arthur was not actually serious. He figured it was Arthur's way of dealing with somebody who talked back at him. As far as he knew, the other servants thought the prince was a good and polite master. His behaviour was certainly annoying but at the same time somewhat sweet.  
  
# # #  
  
It had been a couple of weeks before Arthur admitted to himself that his fights with Merlin had turned into his favourite past time. He would seek out every opportunity to criticise his work and loved it so much that he was beginning to be rude on purpose. Of course, in order to be rude on purpose he had had to acknowledge how rude he had been to begin with. He had assumed that the servants _had to_ respect him because he was the prince. Now that he thought about it, there was nothing respectable about a mere title. When he started paying attention to the servants, he realised that the nobles mistook fear for respect.

 

After this revelation, there was no going back. Arthur was determined to earn the servants' respect with politeness. Funnily enough, Merlin was the only servant Arthur kept insulting. All the other servants were surprised how courteous Arthur had become. When it came to Merlin though... there was just something about Merlin that made Arthur's blood boil and made him lose control. Usually Arthur dealt with anger by hitting things. He was a warrior after all.

 

Of course, he would never actually hurt Merlin. Whenever Arthur shoved Merlin up against a wall – often followed by the exclamation “You are driving me mad, do you know that?” – he would be unable to hit him. He wouldn't feel particularly violent any more, all the passion that he felt during their verbal fights seemed to leave him when they touched.

 

There was something about Merlin up close that was rather... breathtaking. There must have been, otherwise there would be no explanation for Arthur's behaviour when – once again – he was holding Merlin by his collar.  
  
Merlin had dropped something in the hallway and one thing had led to another until their shouting match had turned physical.  
  
“Are you going to hit me, Sire?” Merlin asked, trying not to laugh.  
  
Arthur was staring at Merlin silently.  
  
“Arthur?” Merlin whispered.  
  
Arthur closed his eyes, trying to figure out the riddle that was Merlin.  
  
Merlin put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and leaned closer. Their noses were touching. Their breaths were heavy and Arthur couldn't have said _when_ his grip on Merlin had turned into a soft caress. Their lips touched, a chaste kiss, and before it could turn into anything more Arthur heard his name being shouted. They turned towards the voice, still holding onto each other. King Uther was standing at the end of the corridor, looking furious.  
  
“Guards!” he shouted, seething with anger. “Arrest this boy! He is to be executed first thing tomorrow.”  
  
Arthur was paralysed. He wasn't sure what had just happened between him and Merlin but it certainly could not justify what was happening now. Arthur watched the guards drag Merlin away, his father's shouts piercing his ears. He wanted to order the guards to stop, shout back at the king, explain what had happened but he couldn't.  
  
# # #  
  
Morgana stormed into the king's council chamber.  
  
“Arthur is a mess, his servant is in the dungeon and the rest of the household is terrified. What could he possibly have done wrong to be executed?”  
  
“Morgana, you do not shout at your king and you have no right to question my actions. You do not even know what happened,” Uther stated coolly.  
  
“Then tell me,” she pleaded.  
  
Uther sighed. “You do not see the whole picture. When Arthur was only a couple of months old, the sorceress Nimueh told me that he would fall in love with a servant causing the end of my reign. She said it was a prophecy but I saw it for what it really was. A curse, a curse to avenge all the sorcerers I had persecuted. It was not enough for her to take away my beloved wife. She also had to turn my only son against me and ruin the royal bloodline. That is why I never allowed female servants near Arthur, knowing one of them might seduce him. When I saw Arthur with that boy I knew it was Nimueh's doing. She must have bewitched him to fall in love with a male. The only way to end the love spell is to kill the boy.”  
  
Morgana stared at Uther. She never had approved of Uther's way of dealing with problems, which could be summarised with _when in doubt kill them_. She had tried many times to change his mind and ended up disappointed. Now she knew better; it made no sense to disagree with him openly. She had to go behind his back if she wanted to clean up this mess.  
  
“I see. It is unpleasant but you have your reasons and I respect that. I will try to talk to Arthur, make him understand that there is no other way. He is confused right now but he'll soon be his former self again,” she said in a calm voice that was so unlike her.  
  
Uther turned away from her.  
  
“Arthur is not to know about this, Morgana,” he said in a voice that allowed no contradiction. There was a moment of silence.  
  
“Of course, my lord.”  
  
# # #  
  
The dungeons were dark and cold and Merlin was scared. He didn't want to die. He didn't even understand why he was being executed. It had been only one tiny kiss. They could have denied everything and walked their separate ways.

 

He didn't want to leave Arthur but dying wasn't a solution, either. He had to get out of here.  
  
# # #  
  
Morgana was hoping that Uther had calmed down by now. Maybe the news that Arthur had realised the impropriety of his behaviour would soothe his wrath. Of course, Arthur had only understood that disobedience would make everything worse. The moment that she was admitted into the king's chambers, a guard came running towards them.  
  
“My lord! The prisoner has escaped! We are looking for him but – ”  
  
Morgana's hopes that Uther's anger might have cooled down dissolved instantly.  
  
“How could that happen? He is just a boy! Find him! If he has left the castle he will head towards the Mercian border. He must not cross it! Send me one of the guards who are watching Arthur. Immediately!”  
  
“Yes, my lord.”  
  
The guard ran off.  
  
“He couldn't have escaped without any help,” Uther murmured.  
  
“But who could have helped him?” Morgana asked. “No one but the guards on duty were allowed into the dungeon.”  
  
Another guard burst into the room.  
  
“My lord, I have been guarding Prince Arthur for the last two hours.”  
  
“Is he still there? Is there any possibility that he helped the prisoner escape?” Uther bellowed.  
  
“No, my lord. He is still in his chambers and I have watched him throughout the whole time. He isn't speaking to anybody but the Lady Morgana and he couldn't possibly have helped him,” said the guard, nervously watching Uther's reaction. The king nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
“You may leave. Keep a close eye on him,” Uther told the guard who looked more than relieved when he left the room.  
  
Morgana watched the king intently. He seemed to be lost in thoughts, the lines on his face deepening. She had the feeling that Merlin's escape was only the beginning.  
  
# # #  
  
Merlin was running through the forest. His face should have been covered with scratches from the twigs that should be lashing at him. He was running for his life. Only they didn't even touch him, as his magic moved the twigs out of his way instinctively. He didn't look back because leaving without so much as saying goodbye to Arthur had been painful enough. He ran on and on and even when he passed the border to Mercia, he didn't stop.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been weeks since his escape and Merlin was not quite sure what to do with himself. He was in a daze, trudging down the merchant route through the forest, avoiding any thoughts concerning his future. Walking and searching for food was a good distraction. However, trying to fall asleep in the woods made them even worse. When the path turned into a clearing Merlin noticed an old woman standing next to a big tree. She was short and her face wrinkled.

“Come here, my lad. I can feel your heart is good and your powers … pure.”, she said.

Merlin was confused. Was she talking about his magical powers? How could she know?

“My dear boy”, she continued. “I can see your pockets are empty and your future uncertain.”

Merlin frowned. What was she getting at?

“Who are you?”, Merlin asked.

“I have a proposal for you.” She smiled a toothless smile. “I will give you more money than you can count if you do me a favour.”

Merlin blinked. He was not a greedy person, had never been. He only ever wanted enough to survive on. That had, after all, been the reason why he asked for a job at the royal estate in the first place, why he had started serving the prince... and look where it had landed him. The young sorcerer chuckled bitterly, thinking back on the past weeks of fearful flight. While he could not bring himself to regret meeting Arthur, his modesty seemed to have brought him little good. Maybe it was time to stray from his humble ways.

“Alright. What do you want me to do?”

The old woman grinned and pointed at the tree next to her.

“This tree is quite hollow. Climb up to the top, and you will find a hole large enough for you to creep through, and thus you will get down into the tree. I will tie a rope round your waist, so that I can pull you up again when you call me."

"But what am I to do down in the tree?" asked Merlin.  
"What are you to do?" repeated the woman; "why, fetch money, to be sure! As soon as you get to the bottom, you will find a wide passage; it is quite light with more than a hundred candles burning there. Then you will see three doors; you can open them, the keys are in the locks. On opening the first door you will enter a room. In the middle of it, on the floor, lies a large chest. A snake is seated on it, its teeth are as long as daggers; but never you mind, don't trouble yourself about it!”  
She produced a ragged apron and continued, “I will lend you my blue apron; you must spread it out on the floor, then go briskly up to the snake, seize it, and set it down on the cloth. When that is done, you can open the chest, and take as much money out of it as you please. That chest contains none but copper coins. If you like silver better, you have only to go into the next room; there you will find a griffin with a beak as large as a man's head. Don't be afraid of it; you have only to set him down on my apron, and then rifle the chest at your leisure. But if you would rather have gold than either silver or copper, that is to be had too, and as much of it as you can carry, if you pass on into the third chamber. There will be a dragon that sits on this third money chest, it is as large as a tower. But don't be alarmed; if you set him down on my apron, he will do you no harm, and you can take as much golden treasure from the chest as you like."  
“And how much of the money do you want?”, Merlin asked.

“None, you can have it all. All I want is a tinder box that you will find down there. It belonged to my dear son who died this year. My poor boy was beheaded by King Uther.”

“Then I am sorry for your loss and I will make sure you have at least something left of him.”

Merlin was about to take the rope when a tall stranger entered the clearing. He came towards Merlin and the old woman and bowed.

“I couldn't but overhear your conversation. My name is Peter, I am a squire on my way to the Mercian capital. It is very noble of you to help this poor lady to retrieve the only souvenir of her son. Here, have my bag and I shall help you with the rope.” He stepped closer to Merlin and murmured to him, “You cannot expect a woman her age to pull you all the way up!”

Merlin eyed Peter. He was a decent-looking fellow with broad shoulders and a crooked yet charming smile. The old woman's expression remained neutral. He assumed Peter would ask for some compensation but Merlin was willing to share the money and he was right about the rope. Finally, Merlin agreed and let the man tie the rope around his waist. Peter even helped him climb the tree, his strong hands steady on Merlin's hips. The touch reminded him somehow of Arthur and he felt a tinge of guilt. But by then he was already descending into the dark of the hollow tree which made him abandon the thought and concentrate on the task at hand.

He reached a cave, and it was filled with trees bearing fruit and lit by hundreds of candles. Merlin felt that the plants inside the cave were surviving through magic. He opened the first door. There was the snake with teeth as long as daggers, glaring at him distrustfully.  
After spreading the old woman's apron on the floor, Merlin lifted the snake upon it. He was very relieved that the snake wasn't attempting to bite him. He found copper coins in the chest and filled the bag with them. Then he shut the lid and returned the snake back to its place.  
Afterwards, he went into the second room. There sat the griffin with a beak as large as a man's head. Merlin could not possibly lift the beast, so maybe the woman had really known about his magic and had chosen him because the mission could not be accomplished without sorcery. With a movement of his hand, he set the griffin down on the apron. This chest contained even more coins, but these were silver. Quickly he replaced the copper coins with the more valuable ones. When he entered the third room, he discovered the dragon, as large as a tower.  
He hesitated for a second before removing the giant reptile. The apron disappeared under it. Merlin gaped at the open chest, never having imagined that so much gold even existed. He threw out the silver coins and took the golden ones instead. After he restored the dragon to its former position, he looked around for the tinder box. He spotted it right away but as it didn't fit into the bag, Merlin decided to carry it in his hand and returned to the rope.  
“I'm ready! Pull me up!”, he shouted towards the hole.

The rope was pulled and Merlin prepared to ascend any second, but his feet did not leave the ground.

“It's too heavy!”, he heard Peter shout. “Let's get the bag out first.”  
So Merlin tied the rope to the bag and let Peter lift out the treasure. Soon the rope returned and he was lifted and pulled through the hole. The brightness outside blinded him for a moment but when he could see properly again, Merlin gasped in shock. The old woman's head lay several feet away from her body, right next to Peter who was smirking at him.

“Thought I was a gentleman, did you? Oh, I have fooled many boys like you. I must thank you though, for you made me a rich man.” He looked fondly onto the bag that almost burst with gold. “Unfortunately, I have to get rid of you. I can't afford witnesses now, can I? Not even a pretty one.”

Peter's smirk turned particularly ugly when he let go of the rope. Merlin disappeared inside the tree with a scream.

“Oops. Poor boy, his death was a tragic accident”, Peter said with faux innocence to no one in particular and snickered. After hiding the woman's corpse, he left the clearing, carrying away more gold than he could count.

# # #

Merlin screamed whilst falling towards the ground. Milliseconds before the inevitable collision with the solid stone floor, his eyes flashed golden and he stopped, hanging in mid-air. He sighed with relief, put his feet slowly on the ground and … fainted.

# # #

It had been three days since Peter had abandoned Merlin in the cave. Admittedly, his attempts to get out had been somewhat half-hearted, after all he had no idea what to do outside. If Uther's men had followed him across the border he'd be safe in here. He wouldn't starve thanks to the fruit-laden trees and the dim light of the candles matched his mood perfectly. All his thoughts circled around Arthur, wondering what his father might have done to him, what the king might have told Arthur about him. He couldn't quite understand his own feelings but whenever he remembered their kiss his heart ached. Arthur had his flaws but Merlin had learned to like him, eventually. They were friends and the thought that they could have become something more didn't let go of him. It could have been amazing and overwhelming but they had been torn apart. Too bad that happy endings only existed in fairy tales. Merlin sighed. He didn't want to admit defeat. He couldn't bear the thought they'd never see each other again. But maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Merlin groaned, growing tired of his frustration. He was running in circles and couldn't break out. He screamed, trying to let off steam. Without meaning to his eyes shone golden and an angry gust of wind blew through the entire cave. Everything turned into blackness.

“Brilliant.”, muttered Merlin.

He felt around for the tinder box he had left on the floor. When he found it, he began to strike light. As soon as had he rubbed the flint-stone and sparks flew out, he heard a strangely slithering voice.

"What commands has my master for his slave?"

“You what?”, Merlin stuttered. “Who are you? I can't see you!”

“Would my master like to see me?”, the slithering voice asked.

“I do.”, Merlin said although he didn't sound like he did.

Suddenly all the candles caught fire and the room was even brighter than before. The snake from the first room was in front of Merlin, staring at him.

“What do you want?”, Merlin asked, almost shyly.

“Nothing but to serve you. You are my master and I am your slave. If you wish to see me you simply have to strike the flint stone once. If you do it twice, the griffin will come and do your bidding. If you do it three times, the dragon will come and fulfil your wishes. So, are you in need of my services?”

Merlin was slightly irritated by the snake's quizzical stare. It seemed to raise a non-existent eye brow at him. But what did it expect from him? What would Merlin want to do with these creatures? Merlin didn't want to be a master, he had been quite happy being a servant. Then he thought of Arthur and slowly, a plan formed in his mind.

# # #

After the snake had told him that Uther had relocated the court to Camelot's capital and that Arthur was practically held prisoner within his own castle, Merlin made a decision. He would see Arthur again, secretly. The griffin flew him into the capital and now, he was hiding in the highest attic room of the city. After the sun had disappeared behind the horizon and the city had turned quiet, he asked the griffin to bring him Prince Arthur. The beast vanished and returned shortly with Arthur on its back, fast asleep, and placed him on Merlin's bed. Merlin looked at him, grinning, and moved closer.

“Wake up, Arthur.”, he whispered into the prince's ear. It did no good; Arthur continued his nap.

“Wake up, you prat!”, Merlin said, louder this time.

Arthur opened his eyes immediately, gaped at Merlin and backed away until he hit the wall.

“Merlin? Where am I?”

“We're not that far away from the castle. This is my... attic.”

“I don't understand. Father said you had left Camelot.”

“I did, but I came back. I thought maybe you'd, like to see me.”, Merlin said hesitantly.

“I... I was told that you escaped using magic. Father said you bewitched me to do... what I did the day you were arrested. Is it true? Are you a sorcerer? Did you bring me here with magic to finish what you began?”, Arthur asked. He looked defiant at first sight, but his eyes revealed that he was afraid to be right.

“Well, yes and no. I mean, it wasn't like that!” Arthur crossed his arms and frowned at Merlin's babbling. “Alright, listen. I am a sorcerer, I didn't mean any harm, I was born that way. I used magic to break out of the dungeons, that's all. I swear, whatever it was that happened between us, it had nothing to do with magic. You have to believe me, Arthur.”

“I trusted you. And I really don't know why I still do.”

“You do?”, Merlin asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“Yeah, I trust in your incapability to do anything right. You are useless, you'd probably mess up a love spell if you tried. Stop grinning, you look like an idiot.”, Arthur snapped.

Merlin told him what had happened to him and how Arthur had gotten to the attic. He showed him the griffin at which Arthur simply gawked before calling it a “weird flying bird-horse” and laughing at Merlin.

“You couldn't find anything less conspicuous, could you?”

They quickly fell back into their banter and Arthur explained what happened after the court had left the royal estate. Uther had been convinced that Arthur had been under a spell and had locked Arthur up in his room until he would come to his senses. It had driven Arthur mad, and in order to get out he had announced that the curse had faded. When Uther questioned his feelings, he had indicated that he was very much in love with the Lady Morgana and could hardly remember what had happened with Merlin. It had been Morgana's idea, she always knew what to say to Uther and it was as she had predicted.

They spent hours talking until the sun was about to rise.

“You have to go back.”, Merlin sighed.

“Will your bird thing come for me tonight?”, Arthur asked, hope showing in his eyes.

Merlin nodded. Arthur was about to climb the beast when he turned around and touched Merlin's shoulder.

“Merlin?”

“Yeah?”

“I'm glad you're back.”

The griffin vanished with Arthur and Merlin returned to his bed. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

What neither Merlin nor Arthur knew was that they both had met Peter. In fact, “Peter” hadn't been his real name. Who ever told their real name to someone they were going to rob? Definitely not Valiant. He had been a penniless nobleman until his encounter with Merlin. When he arrived in Camelot, he was a rich man and became quite popular at court shortly afterwards.

Arthur didn't like Valiant much. Valiant, on the other hand, despised Arthur. It all started with Valiant's first day at court. After one glance at the Lady Morgana he decided that he had to have her. That also happened to be the day Arthur announced that he was very much in love with her. Although Morgana didn't seem to be exactly impressed by Arthur's clumsy attempts to woo her, she didn't even deign to look at Valiant. He wouldn't give up though. He was determined to learn from Arthur's failures. This meant that every time Morgana and Arthur had a conversation, he would try to overhear them. The day after Arthur and Merlin's reunion was no different and so Valiant was sneaking around Morgana's chambers when Arthur came to visit her.  
  
“My, my, you look good-natured today,” Morgana commented bemusedly when Arthur entered her room.  
  
“I have to talk to you. Alone,” he announced, motioning at Gwen.  
  
“Whatever you've got to say, she can hear it. Gwen is trustworthy and you know it!”  
  
“Alright, calm down,” Arthur said nervously. “Right. So what I have to ask you is... erm... how do you know that...”  
  
Arthur didn't finish his sentence and started gesturing awkwardly instead.  
  
“Arthur,” Morgana snapped, “just say it, for heaven's sake!”  
  
“How do you know that you want to be more than just friends with someone?” Arthur blurted quickly, blushing a tiny bit.  
  
Morgana blinked. “You know that I let you tell your father about your big crush on me so you could leave your room. In no way did I suggest that we'd actually–”  
  
“No,” Arthur interrupted, “I'm not talking about _you_! Don't be ridiculous...” He shuddered.  
  
“Who is it then?”  
  
“I saw Merlin last night.” Arthur's look turned serious.  
  
“Oh, do you mean you dreamt about him? It wasn't _that_ kind of dream, was it?” she asked, snickering.  
  
“No! Will you stop mocking me? I'm being serious here! He has this flying horse-bird creature that brought me to where he's hiding.”  
  
“And what are you going to do? Elope?”  
  
“Don't be silly, I have a duty to my people. I don't know what we're going to do. We'll figure something out.”  
  
Arthur sat down and sighed. Why was talking to Morgana always so irritating?  
  
“Okay. I get it, you've seen Merlin again and all the feelings came back. What's the big deal?”  
  
“The deal is that I don't understand them!”  
  
“Arthur, you can't _understand_ love. You just fall into it and make the best of it. I mean, what did you feel when you kissed him?” she asked, trying to ban the amusement from her face.  
  
“Well, it was all a bit overwhelming and confusing and... considering what followed I was a bit too upset to actually think about it.” He looked around and added, “And I don't even know whether he likes me that way.”  
  
“Oh boy, if you want to know how _he_ feels, just ask him. And if you want to know how you feel, listen to your heart and snog him already.” Morgana rolled her eyes.  
  
“Well, thanks for your advice. It was _very_ enlightening,” Arthur grumbled and left.  
  
Morgana looked over at Gwen and smiled slyly.  
  
“He's so clueless, it's almost sad,” she mused.  
  
“I think it's rather sweet,” Gwen said.  
  
# # #  
  
Valiant was smirking. Finally he had a chance to get Lady Morgana. He had heard stories about this Merlin, he was said to be a wicked sorcerer who had enchanted the Prince's heart and Uther had put a ransom on his head. Valiant's plan was to follow Arthur to Merlin's hiding place and then to tell the king who would be so grateful that he would agree to give Valiant the lady Morgana's hand in marriage, even against her will. She would be a defiant wife and he was looking forward to taming her. Yes, his plan was brilliant.  
  
# # #  
  
Merlin and Arthur were kissing fiercely, caught a passionate embrace. Suddenly, someone kicked open the door. Valiant was standing in the door frame, followed by Uther and his men. The lovers broke apart. There were bright lights and smoke and shouts and blood everywhere–  
  
Morgana screamed. She was lying in bed, eyes wide open, sweat running down her forehead.  
  
“Gwen!”she called.  
  
“Yes, my lady?” Gwen called, rushing into the room.  
  
“Have you seen Valiant?” Morgana asked, still catching her breath.  
  
“Actually, I have. He's sitting in the courtyard, staring into the sky. He's been there for hours. Why are you asking, my lady?” Gwen was frowning.  
  
“I think he knows about Merlin. He's going to follow Arthur. We have to distract him. Gwen, please, go to him and tell him that I'd like to see him. Then you'll leave us alone and watch Arthur's window. When he's gone and the creature vanished, you'll knock at my door. All right?”  
  
“I will, my lady.” Gwen bit her lip. “But what will you do to distract him?”  
  
“I may have to improvise. Don't worry, I can take care of myself.”  
  
# # #  
  
As Valiant walked with Gwen to Morgana's chambers, he couldn't believe his luck. Morgana wanted to see him at this hour. Maybe he wouldn't have to wait until their wedding. By now he was convinced there would be a wedding; he'd follow Arthur the next night and get the girl and the glory. Gwen showed him to the door and closed it after him. He bowed and tried to hide his triumphant leer.  
  
“My lady, you wanted to see me?” he asked innocently.  
  
“Indeed, Sir Valiant, I have problems falling asleep and I was hoping you could keep me company... for a while.” Morgana smiled seductively.  
  
“It would be an honour. But may I ask why your maid servant left us alone? I thought she'd be with us.”  
  
“Oh, Gwen has chores to do. I'm afraid we are all on our own.”  
  
Valiant wasn't even bothering any more and threw her a lecherous look.  
  
“So, Sir Valiant, tell me all about your heroic deeds, I'm sure there are plenty. I adore the chivalry of knights.” She batted her eye lashes at him and fought back a snort when he announced to be the most chivalrous of them all.  
  
# # #  
  
Meanwhile, Arthur was trying to sort out his relationship with Merlin and failing at forming coherent sentences. He had always thought himself an eloquent man but right now he was doubting his conversational skills.  
  
“So, Merlin... what is your opinion on this … thing?”  
  
His hand gestures implied that the thing was between the two of them and possibly something wobbly. Merlin raised his eye brows quizzically.  
  
“Oh, don't be so difficult! Just say what you want to say,” Merlin demanded with exasperation.  
  
Arthur groaned. “OK, Merlin, how about this? I will do something and you will give your opinion on that.”  
  
After Merlin nodded, Arthur cupped Merlin's face in his hands, leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Nothing happened for exactly seven and a half seconds. Arthur pulled away a little and stared at Merlin with wondrous eyes. He breathed out slowly and tried to make sense of the tingly feeling in his body.  
  
“So?” Arthur asked.  
  
“So...” Merlin replied and his lips curled into a wicked grin.  
  
Fortunately, Arthur couldn't display any more of his conversational skills as Merlin's lips were covering his. Obviously, Merlin thought that, _why yes, this is a fabulous idea!_ Also, the movement of his tongue implied that talking was a complete waste of time when their mouths could be engaged in much more pleasurable activities.  
  
# # #  
  
“You don't know how much I owe you. Valiant was bragging for hours. And when he had run out of lies he tried his hand at poetry. Thank goodness, you came before he started singing. I was so desperate I considered actually seducing him just to make him shut up. Ugh! Arthur had better be thankful when I tell him.”  
  
Valiant sank down onto the floor. He had heard enough. This woman was a deceitful witch, she had toyed with his feelings and tricked him. Under different circumstances he would even have found it appealing but she had ruined his cunning plan. He would have to settle for a less heroic approach.  
  
When the sun rose, he finally had a chance to ask for an audience with the king.  
  
“I hope the urgency of your request is justified,” Uther said sourly.  
  
“It's about Merlin,” Valiant explained.  
  
He told king Uther _almost_ the truth; obviously he had to leave out the part where he didn't report to him immediately to sound at least a bit heroic. He made sure to discredit Morgana completely in the king's eyes. As a result, the king went along with Valiant's suggestion. He arrested Morgana and her maid, while Arthur was to be left alone. Then he instructed his men to watch Arthur's window the next night and to follow him.  
  
# # #  
  
Maybe Arthur would have noticed Morgana's absence or the awkward behaviour of the knights and guards around him but his mind was otherwise occupied.  
  
He had woken up late, hair askew and sweet memories of last night still lingering at the back of his head. He went through the day with a dopey grin on his face, anticipating his next meeting with Merlin. He should have thought a bit further ahead, but clearly the thought of Merlin's skin and lips and, well, no matter what he thought about it eventually led to one thing: Merlin, preferably naked.  
  
So when the sun set and the creature came to pick him up, he didn't notice his pursuers.  
  
# # #  
  
Valiant was staring at the door, waiting for the last of Uther's men to climb up the last flight of stairs. He was bursting with anticipation. Finally, when all of the men had gathered in front of the door, he signalled them to be alert and kicked the door in. The moment his foot touched the wood he felt like a hero. Not the self-sacrificing _loser_ kind of hero, no; he would get the glory and the girls and maybe even a statue. He was a _real_ hero. Valiant knew their only advantage against a warlock would be the surprise effect so he had to be quick and catch Merlin off guard. As soon as he could enter the room, he spotted the boys and moved towards them. They were topless, Arthur straddling Merlin, both of them panting, from the state of their swollen lips he could easily imagine what they'd been up to. While the two lovers were still stunned, staring at the soldiers with wild eyes, Valiant grabbed Arthur and held a dagger to his throat. He grinned wickedly at Merlin; only now did he recognize him for the boy he had left to die.  
  
“You! Well, the prince likes pretty things, I'll give him that,” Valiant chuckled.  
  
“Please. Release him. He's the king's son, you can't kill him,” said Merlin calmly.  
  
“Oh yes, I can. Actually, the king has given me permission. He doesn't want a son who's infatuated with a sorcerer. He believes that the spell you have cast upon him can only be broken by death. So either Arthur dies or you. It's your decision, really.”  
  
Valiant watched as Merlin's calm expression turned into shock once again.  
  
“You know what to do, Merlin,” Valiant coaxed. “Surrender and Arthur will live.”  
  
“Merlin. Don't,” Arthur gritted out.  
  
Valiant waited for Merlin's answer, he seemed to be thinking, considering his options. When Valiant caught sight of Merlin's eyes, he nodded to the soldiers. He knew resignation when he saw it.  
  
“OK. I won't fight back. Just don't hurt him,” Merlin whispered.  
  
“No! You have to flee!” Arthur shouted as Valiant pulled him away from Merlin, still restraining him.  
  
“We didn't think this through, Arthur. I can't stay here, you can't leave. We never had a future. Maybe it had to end this way. You should know though, I don't regret having met you.”  
  
How sweet, Valiant thought, as he watched Merlin being taken away. Too bad the boy would lose his pretty head. His grip on Arthur had loosened and he didn't see how Arthur snatched the tinder box away from the window sill.  
  
# # #  
  
This time, Uther wouldn't give the sorcerer any time to escape, the execution would take place immediately after his capture. He would not underestimate him. Arthur would not be released until the head of the sorcerer would be rolling on the ground. Everyone had gathered around the scaffold on the main square, waiting for the condemned magician to arrive. Everyone would see how strong and powerful the king was. This would be his greatest victory over magic to date.  
  
# # #  
  
Merlin was led to the executioner's block. He was told to get on his knees. Before complying, he looked around, hoping to see Arthur for the last time. The prince was standing next to his father, Valiant's dagger still dangerously close to his throat. Merlin tried to catch his eye but the blond was fiddling with something. Typically Arthur, he couldn't stop being a prat even during Merlin's execution. Slowly, he sank to his knees.  
  
# # #  
  
Arthur had minutes, maybe seconds left. It was now or never. He was holding the tinder box behind his back. He was praying that he didn't have to be a warlock to make it work. He tried to strike light once, then twice and once again for good measure. Nothing happened at first. He cursed and Valiant gave him a suspicious look. Then suddenly, a huge shadow appeared from nowhere. Valiant looked up, screamed and stumbled away from Arthur. When Arthur followed Valiant's frantic gaze, he saw a dragon as big as a tower hovering over the square.  
  
“Your wish is my command, Prince Arthur,” announced the dragon with a roaring voice.  
  
“Anything?” Arthur shouted back.  
  
“Whatever you wish!”  
  
“Help me! I want to be happy and still serve my people. I want to rule Camelot with Merlin at my side. I want to be with him... forever.”  
  
“As you wish,” the dragon replied and flew toward Valiant.  
  
The beast tossed Valiant _high into the air, so high that in falling again he was broken in pieces._ Then he turned to the king.  
  
“How dare you,” Uther began, but before he could finish his protest, the dragon had seized and swallowed him in one piece. Triumphantly, the dragon released an enormous flame into the sky. The noblemen, soldiers and commoners were all desperately frightened, about to panic and run for their lives when the dragon commanded them to listen.  
  
“The king is dead!” he proclaimed. “Long live the king!”  
  
And with that he disappeared to where he had come from. Everyone turned to Arthur and bowed. Everyone except Merlin, who had gotten up and turned to Arthur.  
  
“Release him,” Arthur ordered the soldier who was still holding Merlin's hands behind his back.  
  
“Yes, your majesty.”  
  
At the use of the title, Arthur stilled and blankly stared at the spot where – only a minute ago – his father had been. Tyrant or not, he had been his father. Arthur could not find any feeling of victory inside him, only a numbness that all his previous anger and fierce emotion seemed to have dissolved into.  
  
A hand lightly touched his shoulder and Arthur turned, his gaze focusing again when it found Merlin's, who had gotten up and moved to stand next to him. As he looked into the warlock's blue eyes which held not triumph but compassion, Arthur knew that eventually things would be all right.  
  
* The End *

 


End file.
